Henry p



' (No Model.)

H. P.MA1DBN. GAR GOUPLING. y 110,425,181. Patented Apr; 8, 1890.

l y l A TTOHNEYS TM: nomas Persan co., moro-uma., wAsmmruu. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

HENRY P. MAIDEN, OF ORD, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO ROBERT C. NICHOLS, OF SAME PLACE.

CARCoUPLlNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,181, dated April 8, 1890.

Application filed January 18, 1890. Serial No. 337,694. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom t may con/cern:

Be it known that I, HENRY I?. MAIDEN, residing at Ord, in the county of Valley and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings, of which the followingis a speciiication.

My invention relates to car-couplings; and it has for its object to provide simple, cheap, and effective coupling devices which may be readily operated for coupling or uncoupling either from the top or the sides of the car.

To this end my invention consists in sundry novel arrangements and peculiar combinations of parts, all of which will hereinafter be fully described in the annexed speciication and particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective View of my improved coupler and the operating-levers as applied to a box-car. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the drawehead. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same. Figs. a and 5 are detail views hereinafter referred to.

In the accompanying drawings the carAis provided with a draw-head Bof the usual form, which is provided with an internal chamber l), the side walls of which are formed with shoulders b b adjacent the central opening b2, the upper and .lower walls of said chamber and opening, however, being flush. The opening h2 communicates with the usual linkreceiving opening or mouth C, the sides of which slope toward said opening, as shown.

D denotes the automatic link support, formed with a projecting portion or finger cl, which operates in the opening h2 and normally projects beyond the vertical pinopenings e e, being held in such position by the spring E, its forward movement being limited by means of the lateral wings d CZ, formed on the inner end of the support, which abut the shoulders b b', as most clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

By constructing the draw-head so as to have only the horizontallydisposed. shoulders b2 and making the upper and lower walls Hush with the chamber l), I am enabled to provide a link-receiving openin g wherein the link is guided so as to engage the front walls of the shoulders b ZJ', thereby relieving the spring E from too great a pressure when the cars are bein g coupled together. By this arrangement it will be seen that when one end of the link is in position in the draw-head the support will bear against the same and cause it to assume an approximately horizontal position ready for coupling with the adjacent drawhead, thereby avoiding the necessity of the brakeman going between the cars or the e1nployment of link-litters.

F denotes the coupling-pin, which is of the ordinary construction, except that I form-the head f with a transverse opening f', for a purpose presently explained. The pin-lifting devices, which are most clearly shown in Figs. l, 3, and 4, consist of a vertically-disposed lifting rod or bar G, the lower end of which is formed into a lateral extension g, which is formed with a shoulder g and a stem g2, which fits through the opening f in the pin F, and is held by means of the washer g3 and pin g4, fitted in a manner clearly understood by reference to Fig. 4 of the drawings.

The upper end of the rod G passes through a guide H, formed of abracket-plate provided with a slotted end h, the lingers h h of which are turned upon themselves to form apertured ears, through which is passed a pin h5, which serves to hold and guide the upper end of the rod G in the slotted end of the bracket H.

The upper end of the bar G is provided with a bent portion G', forming a handle, and

' G2 and G3 denote lateral lugs disposed one above and the other below the bracket H, said lugs serving to limit the up or down movement of the bar G, said lugs engaging the bracket Hin such movements.

As an additional means for lifting the pin, I provide a rock-shaft I, journaled in brackets i t' to the front of the car a short distance above the draw-head beam said shaft being .formed of a single piece of rod-iron bent in the center to form a depending arm I', which proj ccts under the extension gef the bar G, the

outer ends of said shaft I being bent to form handles t2 i2, their extreme ends being bent inward, as at fig i?, to normally hold said handle portions from the end of the car, and

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thereby afford a convenient means for quickly l grasping the same.

L denotes a vertically-disposed pivoted rocking lever, thelower end of which is bifurcated at l and projects over the shaft I between collars )l M, adj ustably secured thereon,the upper end ot' said bar being extended above the car and formed into a suitable handle, as shown, said upper portion being also formed with a lateral biturcated portion L', the ends ZI of which normally embrace the bar G, the projection G3 operating between said ends Il on its vertical movement. By this construction it will be seen that when it, is desired to keep the coupling-pin lifted, so as not to couple during shifting of cars, (in case the brakeman be on top ot' the can) by moving the lever in the direction shown by arrow et in Fig. i, the bifurcatcd portion L will be moved under the projection 'Gi2 and hold the bar G in elevated position. The same operation of the lever L maybe aecomplished by means of the shaft I, in case the brakeman operates the devices from the sides ot the car, by pressing the said shaft I in the direction of the arrow 5, thereby forcing the upper end of the lever L into the position bcfore described. To hold said bar I from any lateral movement which mightbe caused by means ot' the jar or vibration ot' the ear during its movement along the road, I provide a clamji-bearing O, formed of a spring-plate bent. as shown, in which tits a collar l), adjustably secured on the rod I, the fric-tional contact of said bearing-plate and the collar serving to hold said shaft from the lateral movement described.

In practice I provide a suitable shield R, which is titted over t-he upper ends of the bar G and the lever L, said shield serving to protect said parts from the ice and snow.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, the advantages and operation of my improved coupler will be readily understood. VIt will be seen that the same is exceedingly simple in construction and can be produced at a slight cost. It can be tittcd to almost any modern form of draw-heini and ears, the peculiar ar rangement of the bar G admitting` ot` said de vices being used on freight-ears provided with the end openings for the passage ot' articles of freight.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Iatent, 1s-

l. Acar-coupling eonsistingotadraw-head formed with an internal chamber I), having shoulders t1 Il', an opening h2, connectingl said chamber with the mouth of said drawhead, a link-support held in said chamber I), provided with a finger projected through the opening h2 into the mouth of the draw-head, and a spring' seated in the chamber Il, adapted to normally I'orce said support forward, said support formed with shoulders or wings d2 d2, adapted to engage the shoulders b IJ', substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination, with the draw-head andthe coupling-link, of the lifting-rod G, connected at its lower end to the pin (l, its upper end projected above the ear and provided with projections G2 G, andthe bracket or guide II, `for receiving the said upper end, substantially as and for the purpose described.

The combinatiol'l, with the draw-head A, the pin, and the lifting-bar I, formed with a lateral extension g, connected to the pin, of the rock-shaft I, provided with an extension I, adapted to engage the under side of the extensionr y, and the bracket II, adapted to guide the upper end of said bar G, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

l. The combination, with the draw-head, the pin, the pin-lifter G, said lifter consisting of a bar connected at its lower end to the pin, its upper end provided with projections Gi) G3, and the guide ll, of the rocking lever L, pivoted to the. car-body, its upper en d provided with a bifurcated projection L', said vprojection adapted to be swung under the projection G3 to hold said bar in elevated position, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The colnbination ot' the pin-lii`ter G, provided with projections G2 Gatits upper end, its lower end adapted for connection with the coupling-link C, and the rock-shaft I, jour naled on the car` adapted t'or lateral movement in its bearings, said shaft provided with adjustable collars M, of the oscillating lever L, pivoted as shown, its lower end disposed. between said collars, its upper end formed with a horizontal projection L and with a handle portion, said projection L adapted to be swung under the projection G"I by the lateral movement oli' the shaft I, sul stantially as and for the purpose described.

ti. The combination, with the lifting-barb?, the lever L, and the shaft I, arranged and connected as shown and described, ol the clamping-bracket O, adapted to hold said shaft Afrom accidental lateral movement, substantially as and for the purpose described.

HENRY l". MAIDEN. `\Vitnesses:

sonos C. Kanon, (inns. A. ln'r'rl'r.

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